1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fishing tackle, and more particularly to a fishing lure for attachment to a fishing line that provides for long distance, tangle-free casting.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recreational fishing, a lure is an object attached to the end of the fishing line and is typically designed to resemble and move like an item of fish prey. The purpose of the lure is to use movement, vibration and color to catch the fish's attention to make the fish bite the hook. Lures may be equipped with one or more single, double or treble hooks that are used to hook fish when they attack the lure. Lures are usually used with a casting type of rod and reel. When a lure is used for casting, it is continually cast out and retrieved, with the retrieval making the lure simulate swimming through the water. A skilled angler can explore many possible hiding places for fish through lure casting, which is a technique used when fishing in both freshwater and saltwater.
There are a wide variety of fishing lures in use. Lures may be moved in many different ways to resemble prey for the fish. The different lures are typically made to look like dying fish, or fast moving prey fish. Lures are tied with a knot onto a fishing line connected to a reel, and the reel is attached to a rod. The motion of the lure is made by winding the fishing line back onto the reel, by sweeping the fishing rod, or by being pulled behind a moving boat, which is generally known as “trolling”. Fishing lures can be made from a variety of materials, such as wood, plastic, rubber, metal and cork. Lures can have many moving parts or, alternatively, have no moving parts. In the wide variety of lures, some lures may be retrieved relatively quickly, and others may be retrieved relatively slowly. Some of the lures are used by themselves, and others are used with additional lures.
One advantage of using artificial lures is a reduction in the use of fresh bait, which can be expensive and may result in over-harvesting of certain types of baitfish. An additional advantage of using artificial lures is that their use promotes increased survival of fish in catch-and-release areas, because lures reduce the incidence of deep hooking, which has been correlated to fish mortality in many studies.
In saltwater applications, “spoons” are often considered to be the most useful and easiest lures to use. The weight of the lure takes the lure to the bottom of the water, and the shiny surface and action of the lure attracts the fish, even as the lure is sinking through the water. Further, during most times of the year, spoons can be fished in such a way as to resemble any of the many small prey species that predominate coastal shallows, such as anchovies, menhaden and sardines, for example.
When surf fishing, it is preferable to use a fairly heavy weight lure in order to cast the lure a reasonable distance from the beach. It is also preferable to maintain a few feet of line between the weight and the lure, so that the lure will appear to move naturally. Because of the shape and motion of the spoon, however, the spoon moves and vibrates in the air as it does in the water. This can cause problems for a fisherman when attempting a long cast, as the motion of the lure can cause the line between the weight and the lure to wrap around the fishing line, requiring the fisherman to reel in the lure, untangle the line, and recast. This can interfere with the enjoyment and success of an afternoon of fishing. Thus, a fishing lure solving the aforementioned problems is desired.